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hyongx
Sep 7, 2005, 1:02 AM
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Does anyone never climb indoors?
I guess I am of the 'gym' generation, and only went outdoors after a good bit of indoor experience.
I have found that climbing in a gym is about 80% physical for me - i can concentrate on the moves and not worry about protection or finding holds or anything, while outoors, its more like 80% mental. If I am not confident, I wont finish any routes or problems outdoors.
Who has started climbing outdoors, improved, and continues only climbing outdoors?
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mrsuicide
Sep 7, 2005, 1:22 AM
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i started only indoors and now im climbing only outdoors.
Climbing outdoors is an experience. The rock, the view, the sun, the air. Its always something to soak in and enjoy.
Indoors is just exercise. I dont enjoy the smell, the people, the invented routes, the enclosed space.
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glyrocks
Sep 7, 2005, 1:34 AM
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me: i never climb indoors. once you hang off equalized ice screws- or fall on a stubby for that matter-- indoor climbing just doesn't have that edge i'm looking for in life.
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mrtristan
Sep 7, 2005, 1:49 AM
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Nope. The local crag is a 5 minute drive or 45 minute walk away. You just can't climb indoors when real rock is so close. I pretty much hate climbing in the gym. I've climbed indoors once in the past couple years, and that's once too much as far as I'm concerned.
-Tristan
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krisp
Sep 7, 2005, 2:37 AM
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Never have, never will.
That's why it's called Rock climbing, not Plastic climbing.
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devonick
Sep 7, 2005, 2:39 AM
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at the moment cos of a lack of transport and the indoor wall being only 600ft away i go indoors a lot but i still love to get outdoors for a good climb and i try to make it a weekends worth
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takanhase
Sep 7, 2005, 2:51 AM
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I live in a small town where I can find outdoor routes at any time of day and if i'm short a partner then theres always pleanty of good bouldering around. besides the closest gym is an hour and fourty five minutes away in boise, and if i'm driving that far then I'll just climb at the black cliffs or table rock. plus the city of rocks and castle rocks are just a little over an hour away so gyms are pointless for me. :D :D :D
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blouderk2
Sep 7, 2005, 5:01 AM
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I climb in a gym from time to time. But climbing inside is so boring. Also it gets costly for a membership to a lot of these gyms. I rather spend it on gear. Its hard to motivated to pull on plastic. Real rock is 100x better. If I cant get outside though and I need a quick burn i'll climb at the gym.
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horseonwheels
Sep 7, 2005, 5:39 AM
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Nearly every single aspect that I hate about climbing is multiplied by 1000 in the gym. I've been twice in my life, and swear that I am never going back. Number chasers, ridiculously uneducated climbing statements, climbing hero worship, dangerous climbing practices, crowding, loud noises, and extreme smellyness are all part of the joy of climbing indoors.
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blouderk2
Sep 7, 2005, 6:57 AM
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In reply to: Nearly every single aspect that I hate about climbing is multiplied by 1000 in the gym. I've been twice in my life, and swear that I am never going back. Number chasers, ridiculously uneducated climbing statements, climbing hero worship, dangerous climbing practices, crowding, loud noises, and extreme smellyness are all part of the joy of climbing indoors.
Ahem to that.
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hyongx
Sep 7, 2005, 12:15 PM
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Most respondents have stated that they dislike climbing in the gym, and some say that real rock is just closer.
For those of you where real rock is not closer, how much do you climb indoors vs outdoors?
Also, how hard do those of you who never climb indoors climb? I can understand getting bored at a gym if you are good enough for everything to be pretty easy...
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kyote321
Sep 7, 2005, 12:25 PM
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good topic. when i lived closer to rock, i used to not climb indooors at all.
i have a friend who trains soley outdoors, which is not that easy in albuquerque, nm, yet he does v10/hard 13s. he does circuits at local bouldering areas. i would get bored, and my fingers shredded, but it works for him.
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rockrat511
Sep 7, 2005, 12:33 PM
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I didn't touch plastic until I had been climbing for nearly 4 years, and still I've probably only climbed indoors a total of 2 dozen times. I don't like climbing indoors, for me a major part of climbing is the outdoor experience, reveling in the bounty of the natural world. Indoors just doesn't cut it. It's ok for a nice work out but I can get just a good work out outside.
Oh yeah, nature is the cheaper course too!!! 8^)
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moss1956
Sep 7, 2005, 12:48 PM
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I live 30 minutes from a crag with bouldering, top ropes and dicey trad, one hour from a crag with manky sport climbing, and one and a half hours from two crags that have good bolts and unpolished rock. I go to the manky place twice a week. Basically, you can't sport climb alone. Otherwise I would drive the hour and a half to good sport climbing. I have been to the good places about 4 times this year, and the close place about 4 times.
I went to the gym which is 7 minutes away, once in May, once in March, and then a bunch in January and February. The trips in May and March were due to precipitation.
Being just shy of fifty, there is a limit to the amount of plastic that the joints and tendons in my hands and arms can handle. Plastic hurts too much. Up through 5.11d on limestone you can climb with supple hands. On plastic , by the time you get to 5.8 climbs you have to grab real hard to keep from slipping off. Beyond that, I really like being outdoors.
There are better gyms and worse gyms. I like Upper Limits in Bloomington , IL and Vertical Endeavors in Warrenville, Planet Rock in Ann Arbor a lot. Other gyms I have been to I like less. I like the three gyms for different reasons. The routes in Bloomington are fun, especially the wave wall. Vertical Endeavors is a pump fest, so I like the workout. Planet Rock has really good bouldering.
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cchildre
Sep 7, 2005, 4:36 PM
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For me I started off climbing around free solo style in the Caves of Southeastern New Mexico. So I guess that is indoors?? What we define as rock climbing, I started off outdoors and climbed for the first few months before I ever touched plastic. I have been to the gym a few times in the last few years. Some have mentioned that they are more comfortable indoors, but I am exactly the opposite. I can send 10's outside and struggle on 8's and 9's in, but I think most of it stems from our routesetters and the holds on and off thing. I climb using any and all means and I think it is a crime to not use the jugs. Last visit I whizzed through a route that a new setter had put up right at my grade level.
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mikewong
Sep 7, 2005, 4:48 PM
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Me. I only climbed indoors once due to peer pressure and cold weather when I used to live on the East Coast.
Mike
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thurgood
Sep 7, 2005, 5:02 PM
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climbing in the gym is fun and great, espicailly when you live 3.5 hours from real rock. for me climbing isn't about enjoying mother earth, its about pushing myself and having fun. a gym does accomplish this, but it seems like most people like to be on the bandwagon that gyms suck, and I am such a badass I only climb outdoors, thus people who climb in gyms suck and it isn't really climbing. wtf
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jelliott
Sep 7, 2005, 5:13 PM
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Used to climb alot in the gym but In reply to: horseonwheels wrote: Nearly every single aspect that I hate about climbing is multiplied by 1000 in the gym. I've been twice in my life, and swear that I am never going back. Number chasers, ridiculously uneducated climbing statements, climbing hero worship, dangerous climbing practices, crowding, loud noises, and extreme smellyness are all part of the joy of climbing indoors. |
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topher
Sep 7, 2005, 5:56 PM
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in 15 years of climbing i have climbed in side a total of 3 times!! i have climbed a few outdoor walls but only like 2-3 times a year.. and i climb outdoors about 50-75 days.
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guanoboy
Sep 7, 2005, 6:13 PM
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I started climbing outside (before gyms existed) and i still love climbing outside. I've tried climbing inside but it gives me the willies - i never do it.
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jerrygarcia
Sep 7, 2005, 6:15 PM
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I have never climbed in a gym. I have been to gyms and even had a small(6x4) wall in my basement, but never had a climbing "session" in a gym.
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krisp
Sep 8, 2005, 2:29 PM
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In reply to: ... for me climbing isn't about enjoying mother earth, ...
I feel very sorry for you. :(
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mowz
Sep 9, 2005, 12:57 AM
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Why do you feel sorry for him? It's his choice as to why he climbs.
Anywho, being that my "loca crag" is about 3 hours away, I hit up the gym about 2x a week and then hit up the crag on the weekends. That is if running doesn't get in the way and I have all my lessons planned and papers are graded and my need to climb is greater than the need to see her.
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jgill
Sep 9, 2005, 1:27 AM
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Yes. Some exercises indoors, but no real climbing. Too old to change my ways. 8^)
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zao479
Sep 9, 2005, 1:36 AM
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Gym climbing is a lot like wind tunnel sky diving, wax museums, and 3-D movies. What is the point in virtual reality when actual reality is free and 100 time better. If the manufactured stuff is your gig that's cool, but I haven't ever heard of anyone taking vacation to red point all the routes at any gym. And for that matter there aren't a lot of calender, of magazine photos of beautiful gym scents.
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